


hindsight and all that

by jazelock



Series: affidavit, to be filed [2]
Category: Fallen London | Echo Bazaar
Genre: Gen, Mentions of F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-07-07
Updated: 2017-07-07
Packaged: 2018-11-28 23:43:31
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 840
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11428716
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/jazelock/pseuds/jazelock
Summary: Tea with an uninvited guest.(An interlude, set after the events of "Leigh" inthat's how the light gets in. Chapter 2.5, if you will.)





	hindsight and all that

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Pineappbear](https://archiveofourown.org/gifts?recipient=Pineappbear).



Nalle only find out when get Lene note. At which point, Nalle march over Zee shore, place Lene note say. Only thing it say. Stomp, stomp, down rows of roofs. Lene not answer door, so Nalle let self in. Search ship, find Lene really not home, not just sleep or hide under bed. Find kettle much difficult. Nalle make note chastise Lene store kettle unintuitive place; kettle belong cupboard not hang ceiling. Nalle then make tea; sit down drink tea while wait Lene return.

Finally shuffle sounds. Nalle finish cup tea number six (definitely not drink too much nope Nalle definitely not need wee in Zee before leave). Call, “Lene keep Nalle wait. Bad Lene.” Pause. Lene peel self, like lemon, yummy, away from wall next door, scissors dangle off finger much careless. When sign, blades swing. _I not invite. You rude._

“No, Lene not invite Nalle that rude. Then not here greet Nalle. Such bad hostess.”

Lene make gesture not need translate.

“ _Rude_.”

Lene stick tongue out.

“Lene tongue give Nalle? Dinner cook much yum.”

Lene ignore Nalle (ruuuude), approach, lift kettle. Swing kettle listen water slosh bottom. “How much of my tea have you stolen, you glutton?”

“All tea. Nalle gobble down, slurp slurp. None left.”

Lene turn back on Nalle, refill kettle. “Could have at least left some water for me. Such a rude guest.”

“Wow call guest rude rude.”

“But true.” Lene put kettle back on stove, turn fire on. Awkward. Left hand. Scissors left hand. Sign left hand. Explain why easy Nalle keep up. Nalle narrow eyes. “What happen arm?”

Lene pause, not look Nalle. Left hand slow. _Leigh_.

“What he do now? Nalle need kill?”

Lene look Nalle not say or sign. Nalle tap teacup.

“He was just being him. I finally realised...well.” Pause. “You know all those little complaints I had about him?”

“Yup, yup. Nalle know all.”

Lene quiet. “I guess I finally took a step back and realised how many of those ‘little’ things there were. And how many excuses I was making in my head to justify continuing to...you know.” Wry. “That, and he also tried to actually kill me, which was one of the last straws, and why my shoulder’s injured. Incidentally, that’s why the new place. I say ‘new’; I’ve had the deed for a while now.”

“Lene break up permanent? Not change mind next week?”

Lene glare Nalle. “We weren’t dating.”

“Lene dumb.”

“Your face is dumb.”

“Ruuuude.” Nalle spin teacup. “Lene always unhappy Leigh anyway.”

“I wasn’t always unhappy. Not always,” Lene repeat when Nalle give zir look.

“Always Leigh lie this, lie that. Leigh not try understand sign. Leigh not want talk. Only want dream drink fight. Trade insult. No talk.”

“--alright, that’s true. And I knew that. It’s why I’m not changing my mind in a week. But I wasn’t always unhappy.” Lene fall silent. “I know it’s not fair to him. I wouldn’t have been so dissatisfied if I’d only thought of him as a friend, I think. Just a friend, not even good friends. He didn’t ask to be more than that.”

“Lene _dumb_.”

“Piss off.” Finger accompany.

“Nalle keep tell Lene obvious. Not friends. More than. Keep. Tell.”

“Well, we’ll never know if you were right now. So ha.”

“Nalle ask before eat.”

“Don’t you dare.” Voice whipcrack, face white. Nalle eyebrow raise. “Dare eat or dare ask?”

Lene stare. Nalle stare back. Lene release chair, hiccup giggle. “Both. I meant asking though, initially.”

“Nalle just eat then.”

“Not with all of my tea you’ve stolen. There’s no room left in your stomach.”

“Not need stomach. Shove in mouth. Dissolve slow.”

“That’s not bloody eating; that’s being disgusting and lazy and having an excuse to lie around and do nothing for a thousand years.”

“Nalle approve plan.”

“That’s because Nalle’s a lazy shit.”

“Nalle eat Lene rid world excess rude.”

“Nalle has already rid the world of all the good tea I could get my hands on.”

“Good tea why Nalle not whip Lene bad manners.”

“I’m ever so grateful.”

“Ya, ya. Nalle much nice.”

Wait kettle whistle. Nalle much nice too wait Lene finish pour before ask, “Lene not upset? Cry, cry, cry?”

Lene sip tea. Nalle sip too. Lene buy good tea, much expensive. Nalle suspect smuggled. Not complain. Too yum.

 _Past upset. Few days._ _Finish. True_ , Lene add after, movement emphatic.

“Nalle not say anything.”

_Nalle face say._

“Lene seeing things. Need hospitalise and stick needles.”

_Nalle face._

“Not stick needles in Nalle face. Nalle whip.”

Lene hands twitch, flutter. Flap flap. “Anyway, I like this place. Although it’d be difficult to house books here.”

“Wet books not burn.”

Lene eye flick up. Nalle look. Only pots hang ceiling. Lene crazy.

“No, I suppose they won’t.” _More tea?_

“Ya.”

* * *

“If Lene move again, not tell Nalle, Nalle hunt and eat. With all Lene tea.”

“I’ll take that into consideration the next time I’m changing addresses to avoid being murdered in my sleep.”

“Ya. Good. Nalle approve.”

**Author's Note:**

> Fallen London is © 2015 and ™ Failbetter Games Limited: www.fallenlondon.com. This is an unofficial fan work.


End file.
